The use of memory cards and, in particular smart cards, is increasing today in numerous applications such as electronic payment, access control, or mobile radio communications.
In order to use a terminal of a given application, a user introduces his card into the terminal, which reads data stored in the card in order to verify the validity of the card and which, depending on the application, records therein the cost of the operation, for instance the cost of a telephone call.
To effect this reading, the terminal has a smart-card reader comprising a receptacle to receive the card, within which receptacle contacts are arranged which are adapted to cooperate with a connecting field of the smart card.
The receptacle is defined by walls for guiding the smart card, although the space taken up by the receptacle is far greater than the size of the smart card which it receives. Now, it is frequently desirable that the terminal be of reduced size, particularly if it is portable.